1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The play opens on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Seven women, who are all sisters either by blood or marriage, are getting excited for a big bingo game in Toronto that they believe could make their wildest dreams come true.
2. What is the intrusion? The intrusion occurs when the women learn about the bingo game in Toronto. In this moment, the women begin to dream of how their lives could be changed if they won.
3. What is the unique factor?
This is the day that the women make the journey to Toronto to attend a bingo game that could change their lives.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will the women win the bingo game?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
One example of exposition in the play occurs in the beginning as the characters and surroundings are revealed and described. Another example of exposition occurs when Zhaboonigan reveals that she was raped with a screwdriver. This revelation shows everyone just one example of abuse women experience, especially in reservations.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment occurs when the women begin to raise money for their trip to the bingo game in Toronto. This scene is action packed, and the women are very clearly stressed. The action then abruptly ends.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Some themes in the play include domestic abuse, women’s roles on the reserve, and longing, but perhaps the most powerful theme in the play is unity. By the end of the play, the women respect each other in a way that they never have before. This respect comes from their new-found unity after learning more about each other on their journey to Toronto.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
The women want to go to Toronto to win the bingo jackpot, but they face obstacles. These obstacles include struggling to fund the trip, a flat tire, and conflicts between each other. Even though they didn’t win the jackpot, they won something more valuable on their trip; a unity that cannot be broken.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
One image in the play is Nanabush. He is a spiritual figure for the women, and he is there for them in times of joy and sorrow. He is particularly present for Marie-Adele, who is nearing the end of her life. Nanabush appears to represent a link between the women and the spiritual world. Another image seen in the play is the screwdriver. The playwright, Thomson Highway, included this particular story of sexual assault on Zhaboonigan because it was based on a true story of a sexual assault on a reserve. Highway used the screwdriver as a symbol to represent the hardships that women face on the reserve because the subject is difficult to discuss.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
The women are related by either blood or marriage, so they are family. However, each of them have very different views and aspirations. On their trip, they realize that they have much more in common than they realized. As women on the Wasy, they face many of the same issues. While each woman has her own family, this trip causes the women to form a special unity of their own.
The play opens on the Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Seven women, who are all sisters either by blood or marriage, are getting excited for a big bingo game in Toronto that they believe could make their wildest dreams come true.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion occurs when the women learn about the bingo game in Toronto. In this moment, the women begin to dream of how their lives could be changed if they won.
3. What is the unique factor?
This is the day that the women make the journey to Toronto to attend a bingo game that could change their lives.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will the women win the bingo game?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
One example of exposition in the play occurs in the beginning as the characters and surroundings are revealed and described. Another example of exposition occurs when Zhaboonigan reveals that she was raped with a screwdriver. This revelation shows everyone just one example of abuse women experience, especially in reservations.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment occurs when the women begin to raise money for their trip to the bingo game in Toronto. This scene is action packed, and the women are very clearly stressed. The action then abruptly ends.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Some themes in the play include domestic abuse, women’s roles on the reserve, and longing, but perhaps the most powerful theme in the play is unity. By the end of the play, the women respect each other in a way that they never have before. This respect comes from their new-found unity after learning more about each other on their journey to Toronto.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
The women want to go to Toronto to win the bingo jackpot, but they face obstacles. These obstacles include struggling to fund the trip, a flat tire, and conflicts between each other. Even though they didn’t win the jackpot, they won something more valuable on their trip; a unity that cannot be broken.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
One image in the play is Nanabush. He is a spiritual figure for the women, and he is there for them in times of joy and sorrow. He is particularly present for Marie-Adele, who is nearing the end of her life. Nanabush appears to represent a link between the women and the spiritual world.
Another image seen in the play is the screwdriver. The playwright, Thomson Highway, included this particular story of sexual assault on Zhaboonigan because it was based on a true story of a sexual assault on a reserve. Highway used the screwdriver as a symbol to represent the hardships that women face on the reserve because the subject is difficult to discuss.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
The women are related by either blood or marriage, so they are family. However, each of them have very different views and aspirations. On their trip, they realize that they have much more in common than they realized. As women on the Wasy, they face many of the same issues. While each woman has her own family, this trip causes the women to form a special unity of their own.